Mother Cat Sitting On Kittens? 3 Clear Next Steps To Do

Having a cat is a pleasant experience, only true cat lovers can understand. However, from time to time it can often become very difficult to pet a cat. Sometimes due to their unique behavior and sometimes due to the requirements they have. Petting a cat is a challenge and petting a pregnant cat with kittens is much more than a challenge.

When petting a mother cat, one of the most common challenges an owner will have is this situation.

Is your mother cat sitting on kittens? It is a very sensitive situation that can take the life of kittens. So, owners have to be very careful when handling such situations. A mother cat can sit on its kittens due to protective behavior, lack of space, or lack of experience. The owner should do their best to avoid getting their cat to sit on kittens.

Why Is My Mother Cat Sitting On Kittens?

Why does my cat lay on top of her kittens? Many owners often get worried when they see their mama cat laying on her kittens. Many believe that it is very risky for kittens as kittens can suffocate or die from the weight of a mother cat. It is very normal to see cats sitting on their kittens.

It is a very weird sight to see a cat keeps laying on her kittens and killing them. However, cats do it for a reason.

Some of the reasons why an adult cat would sit on a baby cat are as follows

Lack Of Experience

Mother cat behavior towards kittens depends a lot on experience. If a cat has become a mother for the very first time, they are quite inexperienced and may end up sitting on the cats because sometimes they don’t know how to be careful with kittens.

After giving birth to kittens, the cat’s body goes through a lot of changes which can lead them to behave differently, mother cat sitting on kittens is one of them.

This sudden change is often very surprising and cats may take some time to get used to motherhood. After becoming a mother, it can be a very tense and challenging task for mothers to look after kittens, especially when they become mothers for the first time.

Before becoming a mother, cats have to look after only themselves but after becoming a mother the responsibility of new cats often becomes intimidating. With all the responsibility and commitment, cats often get stressed and end up sitting with their kittens and making the owners complain that my cat keeps smothering her babies.

When it comes to motherhood, house cats are especially inexperienced because they have never seen another cat becoming a mother, so they don’t understand how vulnerable and fragile baby kittens are. This happens because of inexperience.

Protecting The Kittens

Another reason why a mother cat sitting on kittens is protection. Cats are very protective and often sit on kittens to be sure that no one picks them up or hurts them in any way.

Mother cats will sit on the baby cats as a shield of protection for their babies, laying on them to protect them from any unfavorable situations. This can be their way, how mother cats take care of kittens.

However, a mother cat sitting on kittens doesn’t mean that the cat is having some sort of fear from the surroundings or the owner, it is more to be overprotective for their babies.

However, in some situations, there may be triggering points in the surroundings that may lead to cats getting insecure. The owner should observe the behavior of the cat to understand if there is anything that is triggering them.

Furthermore, sometimes even owners can bother cats. The owner should observe if their pet is trying to avoid them or trying to get away from them.

Sometimes kids at home can bother cats by touching them too much or trying to play with them when cats don’t want to. If the owner thinks that cats want to distance themselves, owners should do that.

Lack Of Space

If there is a lack of space in the cat’s territory, they will not have any other option other than to sleep on kittens. In such a situation, it is not the fault of cats but due to limitations in the environment, they may not be able to have a space of their own.

So owners should make sure there’s enough space for their pets so that a mother cat sitting on kittens situation is avoided.

The owner should provide enough space for their cat and its kitten for them to sleep comfortably without getting congested. There should be enough room for cats to roam and play. Owners should never put their pet or its kitten in a cage. If possible, owners should provide as much space as they can, so that cats can thrive.

A cat can give birth to as many as 12 kittens at one time, so owners should be ready to have enough space that is in good condition for their cat and kittens.

What To Do When A Mother Cat Is Sitting On Kittens?

A mother cat, especially if the cat just gave birth to the kittens for the first time, will naturally be inexperienced, making it risky for the kittens to survive. How to help mom cat with kittens? There are some preventive measures an owner can take to avoid their mother cat sitting on kittens.

Checking The Environment Of Cat

It is a very important factor to consider because if the environment, where the cat is present, isn’t good enough for example if it lacks space, it will make it difficult for cats to reside.

So owners should make sure that they present their cats in a spacious environment. The environment should have enough space for cats to sit, roam, eat, litter, and play very easily and comfortably without bumping into each other.

Additionally, the owner should also make sure to not provide more space than required, so that the cats may feel lost and disconnected from each other. The cat area should be created in the most silent place of home and it should have a soft spot (use a cushion pillow). The environment should be good enough for cats to feel comfortable and safe.

Add Feliway Spray Around The Area

During the pregnancy and post-pregnancy period, it is highly recommended to spray Feliway in the areas where cats roam. This spray will ensure that the cat is calm and relaxed.

A Feliway spray would imitate a cat’s facial pheromones. Smelling these pheromones will make the cat relaxed and secure, which will reduce their stress and requirements to be protective of their kittens and mother cat sitting on kittens will be decreased.

Observe 

The owner should keep observing the cats and kittens frequently. Even though it is not an effective way to control the situation, it can be beneficial sometimes.

Is It Normal For A Mother Cat To Sit On Her Kittens?

Many owners observe the behavior of a mother cat sitting on her kittens. It is normally observed however, it’s not the right behavior. When a cat sits on its kittens, the risk of kittens dying increases from suffocation.

Why does a mother cat keep lying and rolling on top of kittens? When a cat does so, she is just being protective of its kittens or the environment isn’t suitable enough for cats and kittens.

Can Cats Accidentally Suffocate Their Kittens?

Can mom cats squish their kittens? Yes, by sitting on the kittens, a cat can suffocate its kittens. However, it should be noted that cats don’t do it intentionally. A cat will sit on its kittens to protect them but they don’t know that they are harming more than protecting their kittens.

Why Does My Cat Roll On Her Kittens?

There can be many reasons why a mother cat keeps sitting on kittens however, the most common reason for a new mama cat whining and laying on her kittens is considered to be inexperience.

If the cat has given birth to the kittens for the very first time, they are inexperienced and they don’t know how to protect their cats, so they sit on them to protect them. However, their intention is never to hurt their kittens.

Another major reason why a mother cat sitting on kittens is lack of space. A cat can give birth to as many as 12 kittens at a time, which often doesn’t leave the space for the cat to rest and a cat doesn’t have a choice than to sit on its kitten. The owner should make sure there’s enough space for cats and kittens to live, sleep, and play comfortably.

Will A Mom Cat Abandon Her Kittens If You Touch Them?

No, a cat will never abandon its kitten if the owner touches them. However, the owner should be very careful when holding a cat. It is recommended for owners to not touch a kitten for at least 2 weeks after their birth.

Do cat mothers miss their kittens? A cat will forget it’s a kitten after some time, when the scent of the kitten goes away, as they start eating normal food and start having a normal life.

How To Know If Mom Cat Is Stimulating Kittens?

If the kittens are asleep, calm and there is a nesting environment around them, it means that the mother cat is still caring for their kittens. During this time the owner should not go near the kittens.

Do Mom Cats Love Their Kittens?

Yes, a cat would love its kittens. However, many times owners observe that cat is feeding only one child and may ask why is my cat only feeding one kitten? If a cat is feeding only one kitten, it can be possible that the mother cat is weak enough to feed other cats. The owner should consult a vet.  In such cases sometimes mother cats won’t stay with newborn kittens.

Another post-pregnancy question an owner may have include: how long does it take for a mother cat to move her kittens? It can take up to 2 weeks, so during this time, it is the best advice to owners to stay away from them.

Many times owners feel that the cat doesn’t love its kitten and may ask Why mother cat hates her kitten? Stress can cause a mother cat to hate her kittens. The owner should check if loud noises, threats, predators, poor environment all these factors or factors related to these can lead to cat-hating her kittens.

Why Does My Cat Only Bring Me One Kitten?

If a cat is bringing her kitten to the owner, it means that the cat is making its kittens used to the owner. This means that the cat recognizes the owner and wants its kittens to get used to the owner.

Final Verdict – Mother Cat Sitting On Kittens

Why is the mother cat sitting on kittens? It is a very normal view for cat owners to see mother cats sit on kittens. It is very dangerous for kittens as they can die from suffocation. The owner should make sure that they provide ample space to the cat and kittens so that the cat isn’t sitting due to the limited space.

Another reason why a cat may be sitting on the kittens is that they are being overprotective. The owner should make sure that the cat’s environment is safe enough to make her comfortable.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet cat a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️